The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ribes sanguineum named ‘Oregon Snowflake’ and is hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Oregon Snowflake’. ‘Oregon Snowflake’ represents a new cultivar of flowering currant characterized by its compact and densely branched growth habit and highly dissected leaves.
This new cultivar of flowering currant was developed by the Oregon State University Breeding Program (Corvallis, Oreg.). ‘Oregon Snowflake’ was selected by the Inventors in 2011 as accession OSU-11-0020-48-0-052 from a population of plants that were part of a mutation breeding program designed to induce variation in morphology. From a population of approximately 300 surviving plants grown in a greenhouse, ‘Oregon Snowflake’ was selected based on uniqueness and highly dissected leaf morphology. Rooted cutting (clones) were grown and plants were planted in a replicated, non-randomized trial as plants 13-01 (mother plant), 13-02, 13-03, 13-04, 13-05, and 13-06 in 2012 at the Lewis-Brown Horticultural Research Farm in Corvallis, Oreg. Plants have been repeatedly propagated via stem cuttings and it roots readily from terminal softwood cuttings treated with a basal dip of 1,000 ppm aqueous solution of indole butyric acid potassium salt. We have observed at least 80% rooting percentage of terminal cuttings but approximately 45% of non-terminal lateral stem cuttings.
‘Oregon Snowflake’ has been observed to retain its characteristics through multiple years of container (4 years), and field growing (3 years), as well as successive asexual propagations via stem cuttings under the direction of the Inventors at the Lewis-Brown Horticultural Research Farm in Corvallis, Oreg. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar has shown that the unique features are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations. An herbarium voucher was prepared and deposited into the Oregon State University Herbarium and is cataloged as accession OSC-240116.